Incubation and shaking

All BMG LABTECH microplate readers are equipped with both shaking and incubation, features that allow users to mix the well content and easily measure samples at elevated temperatures.

Incubation

The incubator controls air temperature in the measurement chamber from near room temperature up to 45 °C. An optional extended incubation up to 65 °C is also available on several readers. Temperature-regulated heating plates are present above and below the entire plate movement area. This provides a uniform incubation for each well in every plate format, and creates a more stable temperature-buffered area when microplates are inserted or when reagents are added. The upper heating plate of the incubation chamber operates at + 0.5 °C than the lower plate to prevent condensation build-up on the lid or sealer.

Incubation enables the accurate measurement of enzyme kinetics, cellular assays, apoptosis, and heat-shock responses. Users can also increase temperature at regular time intervals so that temperature-sensitive reactions can be carried out entirely within the reader.

Shaking

BMG LABTECH microplate readers are equipped with multi-mode shaking with definable intensity, duration and direction of motion. Users can select orbital, double-orbital or linear shaking, adjust the shaking radius, and vary displacement based upon well size and fluid volume.

Shaking can be programmed to occur before or after kinetic measurement cycles, or only after an injection cycle has been completed. For assays that require high uniformity, shaking can take place immediately following reagent injection into a well.